Car discharge valve and signal switch



July 29, 1924. 1,503,311

c. c. FARMER CAR'DISCHARGE VALVE AND SIGNAL SWITCH Filed March 31 192 19 5 i6 17 CaPSQ /I/QI/ v INVENTOR CLYDE C. 'FARMEB ATTORNEY Patented July 29, 1924.

entree stares rarest i CLYDE o. FARMER, ornnenwoon, rEnNsYLvAnIA, assrenoa TO THE urnsrruc- HOUSE are BRAKE COMPANY, or WILMERDING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

' CAR DISCHARGE VALVE AND SIGNAL SWITCH.

Application filed. March 31, 1321. Serial No. 457,822.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLYDE C. FARMER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Edgewood, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Car Discharge Valves and Signal Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to signaling devices, more particularly adapted for use on railway trains.

One object of my invention is to provide a combined pneumatic and electric signal controlling device in the nature of an improvement on'the construction disclosed in the prior patent of P. H. Donovan, No.

1,195,982, dated August 29, 1916.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved electric train signaling system. Y

In the accompanying-drawing; Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a train signaling system for a locomotive and car, and embodying my invention; Fig. 2 a central vertical section of the combined pneumatic and electric signal control device; and Fig. 3 a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The combined pneumatic and electric signal control device may comprise a casing 1 having a valve chamber 2 containing a discharge valve 3 adapted, when lifted from its seat, for venting fluid from the usual train signal pipe 4 to an atmospheric exhaust port 5, so as to operate a signal on the locomotive in the well known manner.

For operating the valve 3, a stem 6 is provided, having a guide bearing in the casing body at the end adjacent to the valve 3 and having at the opposite end a guide piston 7, operating in a piston cylinder 8.

A coil spring 9, mounted on the stem 6 between a face of the casing 1 and a collar 10 secured to the stem, tends to maintain the stem out of engagement with the valve 3.

For operating the stem 6, a tilting handle 11 is provided, which is connected to the usual signal cord and which is adapted, when tilted in either direction, to depress the stem 6 and open the valve 3.

The electric signaling is controlled by a contact disk 12, loosely mounted on the stem 6 and yieldingly held in engagement with the collar 10 by a coil spring 13 surrounding the stem 6.

Secured to a block 14 of insulating ma terial mounted on the casing 1 are two contacts 15 and 16, and extending through said block and'connected to the casing 1 is a third contact 1-7 The contacts 15, 16, and 17 are spaced from the contact disk 12 a distance somewhat greater than the. space between the valve 3 and the end of the stem 6, so that upon operation of the handle 11, the movement of the stem 6 will open the discharge valve 3 before the contacts engage the contact disk 12.

Referring to theelectric. signal system, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1.of the drawing, each car may be provided with a combined pneumatic andelectric signal .control device of the, type hereinbefore decribed, the contact 17 being connected to ground, the contactflG to a train Wire 18. and the contact 15 to a wire 19 leading from a train wire 20 to ground. I

Connected in Wire 19 isan electric signal device 21, adapted upon energization to give a signal on the car, and there is also provided in said wire, a plug-in socket 22, which upon the insertionof a plug, closes the circuit from the train wire 20 through the signal device 21.

On the locomotive, there is provided a grounded source of current 23, connected to both train wires 18 and 20, a switch 24 in the train line 20 by which the engineer can close the circuit through the train wire 20, and a signal device 25 in the train line 18, which is adapted upon energization to give a signal to the engineer.

If, as might be the case in a transition period, a train includes cars not equipped with the electric signaling system, then the usual pneumatic signaling system must be relied on to give signals from the train to the engineer and with the combined pneumatic and electric signal device, when the handle 11 is rocked, by pulling the usual signal cord, the valve 3 is opened to vent air from the signal pipe 4 and thus operate a pneumatic signal on the locomotive.

If the electric signaling system is in working order throughout the train, then the tilting of the handle 11 will depress the contact disk 12 so that the contacts 16 and 17 are bridged and a circuit is then closed through the train wire 18 and the signal device 25 on the locomotive, thus energizing the signal device 25 to give a signal to the engineer.

.The stem 6, however, is of such length that the valve 3 is opened before the contact disk 12 engages the contacts 15, 16 and 17, so that the operator will be warned, by the blowing of air at the exhaust port 5, that the signal device has been operated.

By the above arrangement, the electric signal circuit cannot be closed accidentally by a slight pulling of the signal cord without also venting air from the signal pipe, so that a signal cannot be given the engineer without the operator being aware of it.

It the engineer wishes to signal a conductor or brakeman on a car, he closes a switch 24, so that the signal device 21 may be energized through the train wire 20, but in order to prevent the unnecessary operation of the signal on each car of the train and the excessive use of current, which in fact might prevent the proper operation of the signal, a plug-in socket 22 is located in each local car signal wire 19 and each conductor and brakeman or other authorized person is provided with a plug which is inserted in the socket on the car where the operator is located.

An operator may, however, be on a car, without a plug in his possession, and he may wish to signal the engineer and receive a return signal from the engineer.

It will now be noted that when the handle 11 is tilted, the contact disk 12 bridges contacts 15 and 17 as well as the contacts 16 and 17, so that a circuit is closed on the car through the train wire 20.

If the operator on the car holds the handle in its tilted position, it will now be apparent that when the engineer closes the switch 21 on the locomotive, a circuit will be closed through the car signal device 21 to signal the operator on the car, even though the plug has not been inserted in the plug-in socket 22.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a train signal system, the combination with an electric signal train wire, of a signal controlling device having a valve the operation of which produces a pneumatic signal, a switch for controlling the circuit through the train wire, and manually operated means for first operating said valve and then said switch.

2. In an electric train signal system, the combination with a car signal circuit including a switch on the locomotive, a signal device and a normally open switch on the car, and a locomotive signal circuit including a signal device on the locomotive, of a switch device on the car adapted to be manually operated for locally closing the circuit through the locomotive signal circuit and through the car signal circuit, independently of the normally open switch.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CLYDE C. FARMER. 

